Slow Cooker Mango Meatballs

An easy recipe for slow cooker mango meatballs. They’re the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Serve these as a party appetizer or a main course.

Being a week away from Christmas and another week from New Year’s Eve, you might be wondering what you can serve guests besides sweets. Honestly, I’d be totally game for a dessert fest, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. But I know you don’t want to be working hard in the kitchen when there are so many other things you could be doing… sipping on a cup of (insert your favorite hot drink here), catching up on your favorite show, avoiding cleaning the house or maybe painting your nails. Because those are all very important tasks that you shouldn’t let cooking get in the way of. Right?

I really love the concept of utilizing slow cookers for parties. Don’t think of them as just a way to make a meal while you’re away for the day or busy doing everything but working hard in the kitchen. You can offer delicious food, made with love, and less work by using your slow cooker.

Did you know that there are entire books dedicated to slow cooker recipes? I was recently contacted by the lovely people at America’s Test Kitchen, wondering if I’d like to review their latest cookbook: Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2: The easy prep edition. How could I resist?! I love using my slow cooker year round so I was excited to see what fun recipes they came up with.

When I get a new cookbook or magazine, I go through it with mini sticky notes and tag my favorite must try recipes. I may have had to refrain from tagging every single page because every recipe was so tempting. It was hard to hold back. But it’s still tagged like crazy! There are so many amazing recipes that I can’t wait to try, from slow cooker desserts to new soups and main dishes. There are delicious options galore, and perfect for all kinds of celebrations and seasons. What I love most, besides the recipes, is the tips throughout the cookbook and all of the beautiful pictures. We eat with our eyes so that’s very helpful in choosing a recipe. For a list of all of the recipes included in the book, be sure to check out America’s Test Kitchen Feed.

We decided to try mango meatballs first. My version below is adapted from the book because I’m crazy and can’t manage to follow a recipe exactly to save my life anymore. It’s a sickness, I swear. However, there was more to it than that. The original called for mango chutney, which my store didn’t have. So the closest to that was mango-peach salsa. I also couldn’t justify spending six dollars on a bottle of garam masala, so instead I opted to utilize the spices I already had on hand that garam masala is made up of.

The final result is a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Sweet mango-peach salsa, combined with a basic tomato sauce. And not to be forgotten, the star of the dish, 20 hand shaped meatballs loaded with flavor and spices. This recipe is a lovely addition to holiday parties. An easy appetizer that can be kept warm as guests are mingling.

Slow Cooker Mango Meatballs

Sweet and savory slow cooker mango meatballs are a perfect party appetizer or main course.

Ingredients:

1lb meatloaf mix (or a combination of beef, pork and veal)

1/2C plain Panko breadcrumbs

1/4C milk

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp coriander

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

12oz. Mango-peach salsa

15oz can tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine meat, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic and spices. Use a medium cookie scoop to evenly divide meatball mixture. Roll each into a ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Transfer meatballs to bowl of a slow cooker with mango salsa and tomato sauce. Cook for 1 hour on high.

Giveaway details:
Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, one Baked by Rachel reader will win one (1) copy of Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2. Giveaway will run from December 18 – December 22. Winner must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Main entry must be completed or bonus entries will not count.

This post contains affiliate links. This giveaway is brought to you by America’s Test Kitchen. As always, all opinions are my own.